My Grandma passed away this past Fall, and my Grandpa passed away close to two years ago. It is still so hard to believe they are gone. They were grandparents in every sense of the word. It was their actions that spoke louder than their words, and anyone who knew them, can attest to this.

From the moment I was born, my grandparents had an infinite love for me. When I was a newborn, my parents went on a honeymoon trip, snowmobiling in Yellowstone, and my grandparents babysat me. They kept a journal of everybody who stopped over to see their new granddaughter. As a toddler, my dad traveled for work quite a bit, my mom would take us over to their house, and we would have sleepovers. I can remember the smell of their coffee brewing in the morning and the taste of Cheerios with a half of sliced banana for breakfast. As a kid, they attended every event possible. As a college student, they sent me handwritten letters at Central Michigan, and would slip me a $20 bill for gas when I came home to visit. As a young adult, they always supported my goals and dreams. All of my life, their actions symbolized the love they had for me.

It is so hard to remember these moments, without getting sad. I can remember going to see my Grandpa in the hospital, shortly before he passed away. I am not always good at saying I love you, but that day I did, and he squeezed my hand in a way I will never forget. The evening before my Grandma passed, I was able to see her too. I will never forget being able to sit by her side and telling her I loved her.

My mom, Aunt Sue, Uncle Steve, and Uncle Ed spent a lot of time going through my grandparents house. How do you even begin to sort out a lifetime of love and memories? How do you know what to keep and what to pitch? I don't know, but would imagine, doing this sort of thing is probably one of the hardest parts of life.

My mom and Aunt found many handwritten "A Happy Home" recipes scattered throughout my Grandma's cookbooks and paperwork. I have been keeping a handwritten copy on my refrigerator. I walk by it everyday, but when I take the time to read it, and really think about it, this is how my grandparents lived their life, and they were great people because of it.

THIS IS A RECIPE YOU NEED TO COOK EVERYDAY IN YOUR HOME.

A Happy Home

FROM THE KITCHEN OF BENA BOLLERO

Ingredients:

4 cups LOVE

2 cups LOYALTY

3 cups FORGIVENESS

1 cup FRIENDSHIP

5 spoons of HOPE

2 spoons of TENDERNESS

4 quarts of FAITH

1 barrel of LAUGHTER

Directions:

Take LOVE and LOYALTY - mix thoroughly with FAITH. Blend with TENDERNESS, KINDNESS, and UNDERSTANDING. Add FRIENDSHIP and HOPE. Sprinkle abundantly with LAUGHTER. Bake with SUNSHINE.